EP1810090A1

EP1810090A1 - Timepiece, in particular wristwatch comprising a main display and a mechanism for driving at least one second display

Info

Publication number: EP1810090A1
Application number: EP04822379A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mathias Buttet; Enrico Barbasini; Michel Navas
Original assignee: Dalton Properties Inc
Current assignee: BNB Concept SA
Priority date: 2004-11-12
Filing date: 2004-11-12
Publication date: 2007-07-25
Also published as: CN101057190A; JP2008519966A; WO2006050750A1; US20090207699A1

Abstract

The inventive mechanism is driven by the hour wheel of a timepiece and comprises at least one secondary display (A,B,C) which is provided with a polygonal or rounded hand or an indicator (7, 8, 9) which is rotatable around a railway (4) and displays on the visible surface thereof names of cities or countries offset according to the respective time zones thereof, wherein said city or country names are written on the hand or indicator circumference (7, 8, 9) in front of the railway (4) hours.

Description

PIECE D'HORLOGERIE, IN PARTICULAR A BRACELET WATCH COMPRISING

A MAIN DISPLAY AND A MECHANISM ACTIVATING THE

LESS SECONDARY DISPLAY

The invention relates to a timepiece, including a wristwatch comprising a main display for displaying the local time and a mechanism actuating at least a secondary display provided with a pointer or indicator intended to display a chosen time zone the mechanism being driven by the movement of the timepiece.

There are a multitude of timepieces with different indications of one or more time zones. The simplest is to put at least two separate movements in the same watch, to display two different hours. The most complicated, the "cities" watch, which makes it possible to first determine the name of a city and, secondly, to read the time in the city in relation to the time of day. a Geographical posisiton chosen is perfectly known to those skilled in the art.

The disadvantage of the simplest system is that there is no mechanical connection to keep a given difference when setting one of the movements. The disadvantage of the more sophisticated systems known to date is to be too complex and far too expensive to simply indicate one or more time zones.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate these disadvantages and to make a timepiece or wristwatch that is most similar to a piece showing a universal time that can give the time of a large number of cities located on different time zones, without resorting to systems or mechanisms that are too numerous or complex.

The timepiece according to the invention is characterized in that the secondary display of the mechanism has a needle or indicator of polygonal or rounded shape rotating around a railway of the secondary display indicating hours and bearing names cities or countries offset by their respective time zone, the names of cities and countries being inscribed on the periphery of the needle or indicator in front of the railway hours. According to a preferred embodiment, the mechanism comprises a plurality of displays or secondary counters interconnected and distributed around the circumference of the timepiece dial, the respective positions of the hands or indicators (7-9; 42-45) being chosen mounted and indexed during assembly of the mechanism or during the casing of the timepiece.

The railway of the secondary displays is preferably 24 hours and a return is interposed between the hour wheels of the timepiece and a mobile of the mechanism rotating in 24 hours and supporting the indicator of the display or counter. The railroad displays or counters preferably have a day zone and a night zone in the case where the railway is 24 hours.

The hands or indicators are supported by gear mechanisms connected and indexed together by connecting mobiles. One of the indicators of the mechanism will be fixed on an indexed gear train supporting a counter and arranged to be able to be moved by jumping 1 hour relative to a star of 24 teeth accurately positioned by a pawl placed on a jumper. Finally, the 24-tooth star mounted on the wheel of the display or meter can be controlled by a mobile via a return in connection with the winding of the timepiece to perform a setting. hour or a correction of the indication of all the displays on the meter relative to the local time of the geographical position where the timepiece is worn.

The drawing represents, by way of example, is an embodiment and a variant of a timepiece comprising a multiple time zone mechanism or universal time according to the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view from above, on the dial side of the execution mode of the timepiece,

FIG. 2 is a view of the mechanism making it possible to display the different time zones of the timepiece of the embodiment of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a section along the line III-III of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a section along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view from above of the dial face of a variant of the embodiment of the timepiece of FIG. 1.

The timepiece shown in the drawing was designed as a wristwatch. This use is not however limiting and the timepiece can be made as a pocket watch or even as a clock.

On the other hand, the timepiece according to the invention will have in addition to the main display indicating the local time several secondary display zones of different time zones to indicate at least the time of a city located in a different time zone and at most the time of fifty or more cities located in different time zones of the planet.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dial 1 of the timepiece comprises a counter or display A situated at noon relative to the main display indicating the local time by means of the hour and minute hand (not shown). fixed on the central axis 2 of the timepiece. A display or counter B, respectively C is placed at 9 o'clock, respectively 3 o'clock on the dial 1 and at the bottom of the dial there is a light 3 making it possible to present the pendulum or the vortex of the movement of the timepiece or any other element that we want to show or display.

Displays or counters A, B and C each have a 24-hour railway 4 with two zones 5 and 6 respectively indicating the day and the night. The main idea of counters A, B and C of the invention lies in their display. The conventional hand of a 24-hour indicator or of time zones is replaced in the embodiment of FIG. 1 by a pointer or indicator representing a variable geometrical figure, in particular a triangle 7 for the counter A, a square 8 for counter B and a pentagon 9 for counter or display C.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the three needles 7, 8 and 9 have the following particularities:

• The display or counter A located at noon on the dial 1 with a triangular needle is named after 3 cities each having eight hours of time difference between them.

We understand that when, for example, we change the Paris time by 2 hours, Honolulu also corrects itself for the same amount of time, the difference between these cities being constant.

• In the case of the display or counter B, with a square pointer or pointer 8 is inscribed the name of 4 cities each having between they lag 6 hours, for example Paris and New York for two of the cities.

• In the case of the display or counter C, the polygonal shape indicator displays 5 cities representing different offsets. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the choice of cities to display with their time difference will determine the polygonal shape of the pointer or indicator 9. Alternatively, the counter or the polygonal-shaped display C may be a regular hexagon with a time difference of 4 hours between each city displayed or indicated. The time difference between the 1 ^st , 2 ^nd and 3 ^rd display or counter A, B, C is decided at the time of the fitting of the hands or indicators 7, 8 and 9 according to the desire of the wearer of the shows, selected cities or countries and where it will be sold.

In the embodiment of Figure 1 just described, we can see at a glance the time in twelve different cities on the planet, in addition to the local time indicated by the needles fixed on the central axis 2 of the main display. The mechanism controlling the counters or displays A, B and C of the timepiece shown in FIG. 1 is described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. As shown, the reference 10 securely fixed on the hour wheel 11 making 1 turn in 12 hours, drives the mobile 13, which drives the 24-hour wheel 14 pivoting freely on the axis 15. The jumper 16, (Figure 2) firmly fixed on the wheel 24 hours 15, causes the star of 24 hours 17 firmly fixed on the axis 15. The wheel 18 carrying the display or counter (A), fixed on the axis 15 is thus driven and the references 19 and 20 drive the wheels 24 hours 21 and 22 displays or counter (B and C) at a speed identical to that of the wheel 18, ie 1 turn / 24 hours.

On the axes of the wheels 18, 21 and 22 will be placed the needles or indicators 7, 8 and 9 counters or displays A, respectively B and C.

With the aid of the reference 23, it is possible to correct the indication of the counters A (FIG. 1), respectively B and C, of the time zones of the mechanism. This mobile 23 receives a rotational movement of any basic movement of the timepiece via the not shown winding stem of this movement base.

Since the subject of the patent is an additional module, this part of the adjustment of the mechanism which has just been described and which is known to those skilled in the art will not be specified. Alternatively, it is also possible to operate the mobile 23 independently of a traditional time setting system. It can for example be actuated by a pusher located outside the box (traditional corrector way). But regardless of the drive mode of the mobile 23, it is through him that comes the information of incrementation or indexing counters or displays A, B and C.

FIG. 2 shows in section a traditional display or counter A, B or C, in which a needle or indicator 7, 8 and 9 is driven out. In our invention, this needle may have a polygonal, regular or irregular shape and indicates the value of time zones in an analog way. It may also have a round shape as shown below with reference to FIG.

When the winding stem of the base movement or the timepiece is in the locked position, the time of the geographical place that passes leads, in our case, the counter of the top A which meshes with the other two B and C. (Fig. 1)

During a time setting, the counter A clears its indication to allow to vary the difference between the local time and the time of the spindles of the indicated cities. As represented in FIG. 2, the counters B and C supported by the wheels 21 and 22 mesh with the counter A carried by the wheel 18, the three wheels 18, 21 and 22 being integral with each other and linked by the references 19 and 20. Thus the counters A, B and C are indexed with respect to the local time and the indexing is determined during the assembly of the mechanism and the difference in the time between the displays or counters AB and C, as well as the inscription of the cities on the counters, is decided at the time of the casing of the mechanism or the timepiece during the operation of routing indicators 7, 8, 9 (FIG 1) according to the wishes of the wearer of the watch and the place where it will be sold and worn.

All the displays or counters A, B and C can be set according to the local time indicated by the axis 2 by means of the winding stem which will actuate the mobile 23 (fi. 2).

The 24-hour star 17 and the jumper 16 on the wheel 18 of the counter A make it possible to correct the delta between the local time and the time of one of the cities indicated by the hands 7, 8, 9. Without this star and this jumper, the directions of rotation between the correction and the operation of the basic movement would be in opposition and would deteriorate the mechanism or the basic movement. This jumper 16 and the star 24 hours 18 could be replaced by any type of mechanical friction, but the star 18 sets the delta on 24 ^erne turn, that is to say exactly the position of the 'hour. In Figure 5 is shown a variant of the embodiment of FIG. 1 of a timepiece comprising a multiple time zone mechanism. In this embodiment, the dial 1 of the timepiece has a central display for displaying the local time by means of unrepresented needles mounted on the central axis 2. In the variant of FIG. four displays or counters of time zones A, B, C and D are respectively placed at noon, 9 o'clock, 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock on the dial 1. The four displays or counters all having railways of 24 hours 30, 31, 32 and 33 as well as the indication of night zones 34, 35, 35 and 37 and day zones 38, 39, 40 and 41. The needles or indicators 42, 43, 44 and 45 are of circular shape and present on around areas 46 to include cities or countries with time differences corresponding to their locations. In the variant of Figure 5, there are shown four indicators 42 to 45 on each of which it is possible to mention 24 names of cities or countries, which allows to indicate 96 time zones. It is obvious that we can restrict the number of time zones or for example, to reserve a display or counter to a few cities or countries of a continent.

Claims

A timepiece, in particular a wristwatch, comprising a main display for displaying the local time and a mechanism actuating at least one secondary display provided with a pointer or indicator intended to display a chosen time zone, the mechanism being driven by the movement of the timepiece, characterized in that the secondary display of the mechanism has a needle or indicator (7,8,9 Fig. 1; 42-45, Fig. 5) of polygonal or rounded shape rotating about a railway (4 fig.l; 30 to 33, fig.5) of the secondary display (A) indicating the hours and bearing names of cities or countries offset according to their respective time zone, the names of cities and countries being inscribed on the periphery of the needle or indicator (7,8,9, 42-45) in front of the railway hours (4, 30-33).

2. Timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanism comprises a plurality of displays or secondary counters (A, B, C, D) connected to each other and distributed around the periphery of the timepiece dial. respective positions of the hands or indicators / 7-9; 42-45) being chosen, assembled and indexed during assembly of the mechanism or during the fitting of the timepiece.

3. Timepiece according to claim 2, characterized in that the railway (4 fig.l; 30 to 33, fig.5) secondary displays (A, B, C and D) are 24 hours and in that a transmission (10) is interposed between the hour wheel (11) of the timepiece and a mobile (13) of the mechanism rotating in 24 hours and supporting the indicator (8) of a displays or counter (B).

4. Timepiece according to claim 3, characterized in that the railways (4; 3 to 33) displays or counters A, B, C and D have a day zone and a night zone.

5. Timepiece according to claim 2, characterized in that the needles or indicators (7, 8, 9) of the mechanism are supported by cogs (18, 21 and 22) connected and indexed together by connecting mobiles (19 and 20).

6. Timepiece according to claim 2, characterized in that one of the indicators (7) fixed on an indexed gear (18) of the mechanism supporting the counter (A) is arranged to be moved by jump 1 hour relative to a star of 24 teeth (17) accurately positioned by a pawl placed on a jumper (16).

7. Timepiece according to claim 6, characterized in that the star 24 teeth (17) mounted on the wheel (18) of the display or counter (A) is controlled for a mobile (23) by the intermediate of a return (20) in connection with the winding of the timepiece to perform a time setting or a correction of the indication of all the displays or counters (A, B, C and D) in relation to the local time of the geographical position where the timepiece is worn.